


The life and times of slicers and torture experts

by ordika



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Aftermath - Chuck Wendig
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 00:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11429742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ordika/pseuds/ordika
Summary: Five times Conder tried (more like desperately wanted) to be romantic, and the one time when it was Sinjir.





	The life and times of slicers and torture experts

1\. Dancing

It starts out innocently enough. They're having a few drinks at their favorite place, just blowing off some steam after a week of hard work. The mere thought of working with politicians still makes Sinjir want to blow himself out of an airlock, but he's also beginning to enjoy it. He's only been there for a few weeks but everyone already knows him either personally or by reputation (which his sarcastic remarks and imperial past have earned him quite a bit of). Whenever, wherever he shows up, the textbook smiles of every single person in the room either falter or disappear entirely, and damn him if that doesn't make it worth it.

And he can always come back to Chandrila, whining about how terrible life is, just to have Conder make it all better. Which, sweet Force, he does.

He looks over to the unbelievably sexy blonde man seated next to him, softly smiling about something Sinjir said, and his heart does a loop in his chest. He still doesn't really get why Con would want to be with him (after all, a man with his looks could basically charm anyone into his bed), but he's stopped questioning it and is instead simply enjoying it.

Conder meets his gaze, silently staring at him for a moment, and Sin's mouth suddenly goes dry.

"Dance with me," Con says with an indecipherable look on his face.

Sinjir looks around. A few people are indeed dancing, or more like moving around in a drunken haze. The other patrons all keep to themselves, some already snoring, the others making their way to an epic hangover.

"Well, I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all your friends." _Lame excuse, you idiot._ He absent-mindedly runs his hands through his once magnificient hair, now a reminder that alone might not be better. "There's your reputation to consider, I'm sure."

Con smiles half-heartedly, but doesn't give up.

"My reputation is by this point non-existent. You could help me reestablish it."

"I'm not exactly sure you'd want that," he murmured, taking a sip of his drink. _Not nearly strong enough for this,_ he thinks.

"I take it that's a no, then?"

There is resignation and such sweet sadness in his voice, it makes Sinjir want to literally lick it off his face. Instead he just nods/shakes his head.

"My mind is made up and I will not be swayed. I'm like one of those ugly wroshyr trees on Kashyyyk, only much more handsome." He grins in a way he hopes is reassuring and somewhat apologetic. "Do you think the wookiees have some sort of native beverage? If so, we need to taste it soon as possible."

Conder just sighs and orders something very strong and very foul smelling - even for Sinjir's nose.

 

2\. Dinner

"Hey honey," Sin says in his best sarcastic voice (which, by the way, is really good), "I'm home."

Turns out running a Republic that involves several galaxies takes a lot of time and effort, along with even more negotiating and disgustingly long sweet-faced dinners. There's only so much hidden sips of alcohol can get you through. The long flight home (as he now came to think of Chandrila) after three weeks of frozen smiles and hidden threats was spent fantasizing about fluffy pillows, cold drinks, and one very good looking slicer with a face that could put small bunnies at shame.

Said slicer pops into view the same time Sin finally takes a sip of something civilized, and he makes a silent vow to never be away for so kriffing long again. Con is only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off his suntouched body for all the world to see. Except not. Sin is the only one who gets to see him like that in such everyday scenarios. A feeling of possessiveness nags at his heart, and he kisses his boyfriend a little more eagerly than necessary.

"Missed you, too," Con says with a smile after they part.

"Yeah, well, you had it easy. Your  job is everything you could possibly ask for, whereas I was stuck on a ship overflowing with nasty idiots, thinking they are better just because some poor species wasn't given a more suitable choice." Talking becomes an issue as Conder stays closely pressed to his side, smiling at his nonsense and putting an arm around him, starting to caress his shoulder. All absent-mindedly, as if it's a perfectly normal thing to do. _Which it is_ , Sin reminds himself. _Simply because we haven't seen each other for weeks, doesn't mean things have changed,_ he thinks happily. "It was a nightmare. Literally. Once, I woke up after dreaming of a poltical dinner to actually being at one! I wished I was on the receiving end of a loyalty investigation."

"Well, if you insist..." Con smiles, pressing a soft kiss to Sinjir's mouth.

"If I pass, which I'm not saying I will, do we get to celebrate?"

"There's this new restaurant I've been dying to go to..."

Sin stiffens.

"I was thinking more of a bar thing. Or, better yet, just the alcohol."

Con sighs.

"So you're still not okay being out in the open with me."

"Sure I am. This whole dinner thing is just..." _Too soon. Too real. I'm not ready, Con._ "Too cliché. Impersonal."

"Whatever." He disengages himself from Sinjir's hold, which suddenly became tight with the conversation. He walks to his room, his posture sunk. "Do your plans require me getting dressed?"

 

3\. Cuddling

"Seriously, when did the Holonet become so awful? Watching this made me want to carve my eyes out with my own fingers. And remember, I know what that looks like. It still beat whatever you want to call that thing we just saw."

Con simply laughs, because honestly, Sinjir never changes.

"There's still one episode to go, so brace yourself," he says, returning to the couch with fresh drinks in hand. Sin throws away a pillow (dark red, that he himself bought) to make room for him, but when he tries to settle in, plastered to his side, Sin startles.

"I'm... not sure I can sit through another 50 minutes of socially acceptable mass torture," he says, standing up, and immediately downs his drink. "I guess I'll just go home. Wouldn't want to disturb your entertainment."

 _You are my entertainment, you idiot._ He almost says it out loud. Almost.

"You sure you don't want to stay?" he tries instead, already knowing the answer.

"I'll try to check in on Jas. It's been long enough."

He stoops down and kisses Con, slow and lingering, trying to communicate something he doesn't trust himself to put into words.

 _Please be patient with me, I'm working on it,_ he seems to be saying.

And Con lets him go, just like he does every time, knowing full well that he'll come back.

 

4\. Buying stuff

When Sinjir comes home from another road trip to the mighty Senate, he finds Conder waiting at his door.

"Hey," the blonde says. "How was your day?"

He just shrugs as he opens the door and trods inside.

"Usual. Although noone remarked upon my abilities as a torturer today so... I guess you could say below average."

"Yeah, well..." He holds up a little blue box with basically no decorations on it. _So Conder,_ Sin thinks. "I got you something."

And he suddenly doesn't know what in space he should do. He's happy, of course he is, overjoyed. But he also can't stop thinking... _What did I do to deserve this? What can I offer?_

Dumbfounded, he takes the box.

"Alright, don't shake it or anything, just open it."

Unable to even think straight, he does as he's told.

And it turns out to be a little aquarium, with one single fish inside. It's very small, barely bigger than the first digit of his thumb, but it's beautiful.

"I..." He drops into a chair, putting the bowl with the fish down on the table in front of him. "I just don't know what to do."

Conder smiles, that lovely fond smile of his, that can convey emotions no words are powerful enough to carry. And right now, it scares the living daylight out of Sinjir.

"Just to keep you company."

Sinjir is having something like a personality crisis. Sinjir Rath Velus, former loyalty officer of the Galactic Empire, present advisor to the Chancellor of the New Republic, with the emotional value and capabilities of a post-Death Star Alderaan.

"Can you please leave me alone right now?" he tries to say as gently as he can.

Conder is clearly shocked for a moment, then he turns angry, and turns away.

"Okay," he says gruffly.

"Con, it's... I didn't mean it like that, I just..." Conder stops and looks back at Sin. "I don't really know how to react. I need a little time to think about... stuff. But I..."  _love you,_ he thinks, but swallows the words instead. "Thank you."

Conder just nods before leaving.

 

5\. Staying over

They start to spend more and more time together, because why wouldn't they. Spending the night, though, is somehow off the table. They don't really know why. Sure, sometimes their, uhm, nighttime activities call for it, but otherwise they each sleep in their own respective beds, often regretting it and missing the other, but for whatever reason it just worked out that way.

They both started to have enough of it.

After a lazy afternoon and several hours of (mostly ignored) mind-numbing holonet, Con decides to broachthe subject.

"How about you do not run away from me this time?" he half yawned, half whispered into Sin's ear, which earned him a short laugh and a hand grasping his hair.

"Do I ever?" he answers, kissing Con.

"Maybe I just won't answer that."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

Sinjir stands up, collecting their glasses and plates and maneuvering them out of the living room. Con half rises, following him with his eyes. Sin wasn't a traditionally beautiful guy, but his thin, tall frame and almost black hair give an air of strength which, along with his Imperial history as well as his respectable self-esteem made him... pretty hot.

"I'm serious."

"Huh? Didn't realise you said something."

"Yeah, I meant about earlier."

Sinjir scrunches up his face, and tilts his head with a questioning look.

"How earlier? Cause if this is about my hatred towards everything you call >media<, then I'm still not changing my mind. Nor will I ever. One day, reporters will run the show. And whilst my entire being rejoices at the thought of there being no more politicians, the notion of having to do the storytellers' bidding is about as abhorrent as that of getting drunk on that Tsiraki thing ever again. Or just getting anywhere near it. Yuck."

A shudder visibly runs through his back.

"No, not that." Con braces himself before continuing. "Why don't you stay?"

Sin frowns.

"As in, for the night stay?"

"Exactly. It's not like it hasn't happened before."

"Yeah, but..." But what, exactly? "I dunno. I have to feed my fish." He shrugs. "Maybe next time."

Con shrugs too.

"Next time."

It isn't exactly a promise, but at least it's a start.

 

+1

Even though they're not officially living together, both of them have free access to the other's apartment, easily allowing Sinjir to prepare a surprise for his boyfriend.

He tries to make something resembling food, but after an hour of trying and failing, he gives up on  the fancy recipes and instead opts for omelets, which turn out to be pretty easy to make but also really tasty.

He sets the table as neatly as he can, placing three candles in the middle of the small table. He even chooses to put on music, though very quietly. Preparations done, he dashes to the bathroom to make sure he looks the part he's trying to play. No, not play, become. He's been fighting this normal side of life long enough, he finally decided to embrace it. Sure, things might still be a little awkward from time to time, and he won't just magically turn into a romantic type, but he'll try to be open and accepting. Con deserves that and so much more.

He's sitting at the table, gazing mesmerized into the flame of a candle when he hears the door whoosh open. He jumps up, not wanting to miss the look on Conder's face.

"Hey," he says softly.

The slicer stands rooted a few steps from the door, not believing his eyes.

"What..."

He looks around his small apartment, his gaze finally resting on Sinjir's face.

"Sin, what's... why-"

"Come on, sit down," Sinjir interrupts, taking hold of his boyfriends right elbow and slowly ushering him to the table. "There. Better."

Silence again descends upon them, Conder still taking in his surroundings and Sinjir still unable to tear his eyes away from his face.

"So. Care to offer an explanation?"

Sin smirks. "Need there be one?" With a raise of eyerows Conder indicates yes. "Alright, alright, whatever. You big baby." He takes a steadying breath and begins his explanation/apology. "You've been doing these wonderful things for me, like not letting me get too drunk on Monday nights and stuff, and I just thought that you deserve something in exchange, too."

"Hey, that's not how-"

"Just let me finish, please." When the blonde gives a slow nod, Sinjir continues. "I'm not great at feelings. Neither the feeling nor expressing part, so this... relationship has been hard for me. I may have told you a few times, but I can't not feel stuff around you. You're just so good and so... human, that it's contagious. I guess what I'm saying is that  I love you, Conder Kyl, and I'm endlessly thankful for your patience and tolerance. I know I'm not an easy thing to get used to, but somehow you manage it so well, and I just hope to be able to make it worth your while." He swallows, loking up into his boyfriend's eyes, which he has been pointedly avoiding. "So."

Conder  reaches a hand up to touch his face, then pulls him down into a kiss. Sinjir is so kriffing relieved he could cry.

"I love you too."

And that does things to Sinjir.

"Yeah, well, who wouldn't love a handsome devil such as myself."

Things like letting him be just himself.

**Author's Note:**

> mwaaagggh i am so in love with these two it's impossible. all time favorite nicknames :D  
> maybe let me know if you guys liked it?  
> come shout at me on [tumblr](ner-vod.tumblr.com)


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